


Mischievous beasts and how to shame them

by flightinflame



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Original Percival Graves is a Softie, creature shaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 08:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10486284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: Percival has had enough of the creatures behaving badly.  Seraphina has given him a camera, so he decides to collect some evidence.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Lourdes for their input on some of the notes. I wish I was skilled enough to illustrate this!
> 
> For this prompt: Someone (Percival? Theseus? Newt himself?) has had enough of the creatures behaving badly. So they take some photos with signs explaining exactly what the creatures have been up to.
> 
> \+ These are wizarding photos.

Theseus had always told Newt that talking to creatures was the first sign of madness. Newt couldn't believe that. If nothing else most people said it was talking for yourself, and Newt had been showing signs of madness a long time before he started to the creatures. Anyway mum talked to the hippogriffs. Thinking about it, mum was probably not the best example. But anyway - finding his lover giggling at a fruit was probably a very concerning sign.

"Percival?" He asked cautiously, approaching him warily, both hands raised to show his lover that he didn't pose a threat. "What's going on?"  
Percival turned the pineapple to face him. Newt noticed two things - the first that someone had drawn a frowny face on the pineapple, and the second that there was a note hanging from one of the leaves saying "I am an asshole".

Percival smiled at him.  
"Wanted to complete the collection. Seraphina says I'm not allowed in the cells to do this, even if it's a good reason."  
"The ...the collection?" Newt frowned a little. It wasn't unusual for him to have no idea of what people were saying, but he could normally follow what Percival meant at least.

Percival reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of photographs, spreading them across the table. The first was the niffler, who was busy counting some coins and seemed oblivious to the paper standing beside it which declared 'I robbed a bank'. 

The next photograph appeared to be Dougal's nest, although it was rocking slightly. A sign hanging from it said 'I lay in the middle of the floor and turn invisible.' An extra note had been added: 'and I was refusing to be visible for the picture'. 

The last photograph was Newt himself, asleep in bed with his arms sprawled out. There was a piece of paper beside him. 'I released magical creatures in New York. And I hog the bed.'

"When did you take this?"  
"A few days ago..." Percival shrugged. "I quite like watching you sleep. And anyway, I'm right, you do hog the bed." He pointed at the photograph. 

Newt pressed his lips together in an attempt to hide his smile.   
"I can't argue with the evidence. So what is this?"  
"Seraphina said I needed a hobby. She brought me a camera." Percival slipped a small object from his pocket and then cast engorgio to grow it back to its correct size. "I've just been trying to get the hang of photography. Your creatures are the perfect subjects."

Newt considered and then nodded.   
"I'll help you."

***

It was only a couple of days before they needed their next sign. It was for one of the occamy, who had managed to make her way into the erumpent's enclosure. That in itself wouldn't be a problem - erumpents were herbivores, and occamy were insectivores, so they weren't in direct competition. The problem however was that she had grown to take up three quarters of the enclosure, and was refusing to shrink back down. Percival got his camera, as Newt wrote the sign.  
'I'm enjoying being huge too much to let mummy put me back in the nest'. The photograph was taken and then they continued in their efforts to shrink her back down.

***

It was Percival who got a sign next - Newt snuck into his office while he was hard at work, and floated a piece of paper over towards him, snapping the photograph before he looked up to see it. 

When the photograph had been developed, Newt watched as Percival-in-the-image snatched the paper, read 'I'm too busy working to notice my boyfriend', ripped the message to shreds and then did a rude gesture to camera.

Real Percival laughed, and added it to the photograph album.

***

The nundu's one said simply 'I eat everything'. Unfortunately, the sign did not remain legible for long because the nundu devoured it, pieces of paper floating through the air in front of the image.

***

The niffler became a star of so many he could have had his own album. Most of them were for stealing Percival's watch. Or Seraphina's wand. Or Percival's tie pin.

***

The aurors were all crowded around Newt when he came in to see Percival, bringing the now infamous photograph album with him. The door opened and Queenie walked in, carrying a tray of tea for everyone.  
"What've you got there?" She asked. Newt turned it towards her and she giggled, then reached out and poked him in the arm.  
"No."

Tina arched an eyebrow, and Queenie let them take the photograph, holding up the sign.  
'I read people's minds when I'm not meant to.'

***

Pickett was ranting at Newt one day when Percival climbed into the case.  
"What's wrong?"  
"He's lecturing me again about safety. Would you get a photograph of us for your collection?"  
Percival nodded.   
"What about 'I tell off my human'?"  
"Perfect." Newt replied, and took the paper he was offered without looking at it. Percival snapped the photograph before Newt realised what he had been handed was a sign saying 'I am a bad tree'.


End file.
